Here I am....Fort Myers was spared the kind of damage that the barrier islands and Port Charlotte/Punta Gorda area was...although there is widespread damage in Fort Myers. I have never been through, or never want to go through that again. I was scared...It's one of those things that's not easy to explain to thoise who have never been in one. The community has come together in ways I have never seen. Right now, a majority of Southwest Florida is still without power. Ours was restored late yesterday....still no phone service. The relief efforts have come relatively swift thanks to the lessons of Andrew in 92 on the east coast. It is an unbsettling feeling to drive around to see the national guard directing traffic, people witing for blocks to buy ten dollars worth of gas. The people just to the north of Fort Myers had it the worst, and I feel for them. The damage here is extensive, but not as concentrated as it is there. As of right now, I am basically without a job, as are many others. I work out on Sanibel Island, which will not even be opened to residents until Wednesday at the earliest(imagine the frustration of those people!...not even allowed back to their homes to see what happened). It was a dark day in southwest Florida(Friday the 13th to top it all off). I have never seen anything like the desruction that Charley has caused. I've heard it about Hurricane Donna in 1960 for the last twenty years....this was our Donna....
Thank you all for messages of concern....they are appreciated greatly. I consider myself lucky to still have a roof over my head, my family, and my life.....